Emily Madden : 19 : Sick for 10 Years (Story shared 2012) Borrelia (Lyme) Infection Acquired : Jimna, Qld 2003Co-infections: Babesia and Bartonella International Travel History : Left Australia for the first time in 2008 (Europe)

Emily with some of her family and friends that attended the Queensland Lyme Disease Protest in November 2012From left to right: Anna Natoli, Jeannette Hawkins, Philip Hawkins, Jenny Madden, Michelle Hawkins, Jacob Whittaker, Emily Madden, Daniel Madden, Tara Owens, Rebecca Ross and Shannon Oliver. (Thank you to Bridget Hawkins who took the photo)

Emily's Story(As written on Emily's site; huge thanks for permission to share with us here)

Emily grew up on the Sunshine Coast, where she completed both primary school and high school. Throughout primary school, Emily succeeded in numerous sporting endeavours, representing her school, district and region in such sports as soccer, softball, touch and athletics. Emily first became ill when she was in grade 5 (2003), following a tick bite acquired near Jimna, Queensland, Australia, and her symptoms have become more complex and severe every year since then.

As Emily approached high school, her painful symptoms were developing to the point where she had to give up sport completely. During her high school years, Emily began to focus her energy on music, visual art and academic endeavours. Although she was often absent due to her illness, Emily was able to achieve consistently high grades.

Following more than nine years of consulting multiple doctors and specialists and numerous frightening hospital visits which left her family without definitive answers, 19 year old Emily finally has an accurate diagnosis. In June this year, blood test results from the USA confirmed that Emily has Lyme disease and the co-infections Babesia and Bartonella. She has also been diagnosed with Chlamydophila Pneumoniae and very high levels of heavy metal and pesticide toxicity, which worsens her condition.

Lyme disease is multi-systemic and in Emily’s case, along with the serious co-infections of Bartonella and Babesia, it is evident that these diseases are attacking her severely, with her heart and brain also being affected. As a result of the delay in receiving a correct diagnosis, the disease has progressed to Chronic Neurological Lyme Disease.

Some of her many symptoms include constant excruciating pain in all joints, bones, nerves, muscles and organs, migraines and severe head pressure, muscle weakness, constant fatigue, vertigo, flu-like symptoms, light and noise sensitivity, severe chest pain, heart palpitations and shortness of breath, abdominal pain, ruptured ovarian cysts, symptoms mimicking appendicitis (which ended with an appendectomy), also many neurological symptoms including the inability to regulate body temperature, short-term memory loss, inability to concentrate and comprehend, difficulty with word recollection, anxiety and brain fog. Most people who have known Emily are unaware of her long term struggle with illness, as she has managed to mask her symptoms for the most part. As a result of the disease, Emily has missed out on many things that most young girls and teenagers take for granted. As well as giving up the sport that she loved so much, Emily has had to miss out on spending time with friends, outings, parties, school camps and important rites of passage including her high school graduation. She is now unable to make plans at all, because she doesn’t know whether she will feel well enough from one minute to the next.Although her life has been very challenging, Emily achieved an OP 1 and gained entry into the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. Although she has been undertaking a full time load for the past three semesters at university, she has not been able to attend regularly and due to her rapidly worsening condition, she is now forced to put her music career and education at the Conservatorium aside entirely as she seeks urgent treatment.

Below is an ABC radio interview about Lyme Disease Awareness and “Save Emily” Thank you to Jonathan Jones for his ongoing support and assistance in fundraising and raising awareness of this debilitating disease. (Below interview originally aired Saturday 19 January)

Emily has a great positive attitude and her music helps to keep her spirits up while dealing with her illness and treatment. Check out some of Emily's Fantastic Music:

Below is one of the songs/covers you will find there : Dirty Paws - of Monsters and Men. Performed by Emily and her partner Jacob.

A You-Tube Video Made by Emily's Friend, Jay Dubbman on Emily and Lyme Disease

Emily has always dreamed of a career in music, and hopes that one day she will be well enough to share her love for composing and performing with the world. Hopefully, if Emily is able to receive treatment in Germany, she will be able to regain her health and live the fulfilling life she believed would be impossible.

For a more comprehensive list of symptoms, and more on Emily see her website: Hope For Emily MaddenFacebook page set up by Family to raise awareness of Lyme and funds for Emily's treatment: Hope For Emily Madden

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter" Martin Luther King Jr.